(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. Curious Sammy the spider accidentally attends Josh's cousin Ben's bar mitzvah, where Sammy ends up on a piece of candy that is thrown at Ben after the service. Unsurprisingly, Sammy makes it back home safely. Accompanied by flat but colorful collage illustrations, the slight story does impart a few facts about this Jewish rite of passage.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. This Hanukkah cookbook, part of the Sammy Spider series, offers non-traditional and easy-to-make (if not always kid-appetizing) recipes with largely Hanukkah-themed names, such as "Maccabee and Cheese" and "Sweet Potato Gelt." Rough cut-paper illustrations identify the tools and ingredients needed for each recipe. Some craft activities, as well as the Hanukkah blessings, are also included in the final pages.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. Sammy Spider watches a neighbor deliver chicken soup to Josh, who has a cold. Sammy helps Josh by spinning a web to make him feel better. The slight story doesn't actually define the word mitzvah, though readers might pick it up from context. Rough but colorful collage illustrations have some nice details, like text written in Sammy's web, Charlotte's Web–style.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. Spider Sammy stows away in Josh's backpack, accompanying the boy to school. The students learn a lesson about the Jewish value of being kind to animals--put to the test once Sammy's spotted. The text is didactic but accessible; though it obviously depicts observant Jewish life, the story reaches beyond one particular audience. Brightly colored cut-paper illustrations are lively.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. The Ziz (a bird king from Jewish legend) wants more light in wintertime, so God gives him an oil lamp. When the Ziz hears that Judah Maccabee needs oil for the menorah in the Holy Temple, he has to make a difficult decision. The colorful, cartoonish paintings don't match the tone of this unique take on the Hanukkah story.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) PS Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. Young spider Sammy continues to learn about Jewish holidays, and in this book watches a human family prepare for the harvest holiday of Sukkot, eventually taking part himself. Reminiscent of the work of Eric Carle, the illustrations work with the text to explore directional words such as inside and outside, which fits with the holiday's reminder that "God is everywhere."

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn